| Belgium Christmas Markets |
DEPARTS07 DECEMBER 2012 Price includes
Day 1We are delighted to give you the opportunity to join our fantastic shopping tour led by Mr Frank Mackin to the medieval city of Antwerp in Belgium. Antwerp is Belgium’s fashion capital and also the Diamond centre of the World. We will be departing from Dublin on the 7th of December. We will be staying for 3 nights at the 4 star Leopold Antwerp hotel which is located right at Antwerp’s Central Park, just around the corner of Antwerp’s renowned shopping streets De Keyserlei and the Meir, the Central Station, the Diamond district and most of Antwerp’s cultural attractions. The Grote Markt (Market Square) in Antwerp hosts a Christmas market every December, where you can stock up on decorations, sip mulled wine under the Christmas tree and purchase seasonal produce. Make sure you save room in your luggage for some fine Belgian chocolate. We will take a day trip to Bruges. Known as the Venice of the North, Bruges is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It was a justified motive that prompted UNESCO in 2000 to include the entire historical city centre on the World Heritage list. Walking along the maze of winding cobbled alleys and romantic canals, you imagine yourself to be in medieval times. DAY 2Today is a free day for you to make a start on your Christmas shopping. The Grote Markt (Market Square) in Antwerp hosts the Christmas market every December. You can stock up on decorations and purchase seasonal produce. There are also carol concerts in the evening. This large square by the west porch of the cathedral (Europe's tallest Gothic church) is always packed for this Christmas market, so don't miss the festive atmosphere. The hotel is only 5 minutes walk from Antwerps central train station. You can easily take a day trip from there to the beautiful Dutch city of Breda or the quaint town of Roosendaal. DAY 3After breakfast we depart the hotel at 10am for an excursion to Bruges, known as the “Venice of the North”The historic city centre was added to the Unesco’s World Heritage List. The current city boundaries still coincide exactly with those of the medieval city centre, and the spaces and structures that were so typical of Bruges in the past have been preserved. There can't be many settings more beautiful at Christmas than medieval Bruges, with its cobbled streets, historic buildings and horses and carts plodding by. The Christmas market on the Market Square forms a ring around an open-air ice rink, Bruges maintains the very highest culinary standards. The city boasts dozens of excellent restaurants, trendy lunch addresses, fun coffee bars – and a local population famed for its love of the good-life and its high levels of expectation! All year round the rich aroma of chocolate wafts through the World Heritage city and countless creative confectioners make hundreds of kilograms of the city’s most famous chocolate, the ‘Brugsch Swaentje’ (Bruges Swan). We depart Bruges at 1600hrs to return to the hotel. DAY 4After breakfast and checkout we depart the hotel at 10.30am for an excursion to Belgium’s capital Brussels. Brussels is the ultimate European city. As the headquarters to the EU (European Union) and NATO it is often referred to as The Capital of Europe. It is an international metropolis – a mosaic of languages, cultures, and traditions. Brussels hosts over 80 museums, numerous tourist attractions, and more restaurants than you could count. The starting point for any visit to Brussels is the Grand Place which was built as a merchant’s market in the 13th century. Shopping in the distinctive fashion boutiques, lingering over a delicious lunch in a bistro or a top restaurant, people watching from a street cafe, - Brussels is a city you can call your own. We depart Brussels for the airport in time for our return flight to Dublin Interrested in this tour fill in our Booking Form and view our Booking Conditions |
